Autonomous Robots for Detecting Leaks

Abstract

A system comprising a robot and a robot base station is described. The processor of the robot base station is configured to receive information about a potential water leak and cause transmission of a first command to cause the robot to traverse an area associated with the potential water leak. The processor of the robot is configured to receive the first command from the robot base station, cause the robot to traverse the area associated with the potential water leak, and determine, using at least a sensor, that a liquid corresponding to the potential water leak is present in the area. Further, the processor of the robot is further configured to determine information about the liquid and cause transmission of a first indication to the robot base station, where the first indication indicates that the liquid is present in the area and the information about the liquid.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A premises monitoring system, comprising:
 a robot comprising:
 at least one wheel, the at least one wheel comprising at least one sensor, the at least one sensor comprising a plurality of electrodes arranged to detect a presence of a fluid; 
 at least one processor in communication with the at least one sensor; and 
 at least one memory storing a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to:
 determine, using the at least one sensor, that a fluid corresponding to a detected potential fluid leak is present in an area of a premises; 
 in response to determining that the fluid is present in the area of the premises, determine information about the fluid; and 
 cause transmission of the information to a control device for the premises monitoring system. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The premises monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the information about the fluid comprises at least one of a measurement associated with the fluid, a shape associated with the fluid, or a location within the premises where the fluid is present. 
     
     
         3 . The premises monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein each electrode of the plurality of electrodes is not in physical contact with any other electrode of the plurality of electrodes. 
     
     
         4 . The premises monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to cause the at least one processor to:
 detect a short-circuit condition across at least a pair of electrodes of the plurality of electrodes, when the pair of electrodes contacts the fluid; and   in response to detecting the short-circuit condition, determine that the fluid is present in the area.   
     
     
         5 . The premises monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to cause the at least one processor to:
 receive information about the detected potential fluid leak being present in the area of the premises; and   in response to receiving the information, cause the robot to traverse at least a portion of the area of the premises.   
     
     
         6 . The premises monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one wheel comprises at least a first wheel and a second wheel. 
     
     
         7 . The premises monitoring system of  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of electrodes comprises:
 a first group of electrodes positioned on the first wheel; and   a second group of electrodes positioned on the second wheel.   
     
     
         8 . The premises monitoring system of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the first wheel comprises a first wheel surface, the first group of electrodes being coupled to the first wheel surface; and   the second wheel comprises a second wheel surface, the second group of electrodes being coupled to the second wheel surface.   
     
     
         9 . The premises monitoring system of  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of instructions are further configured to cause the at least one processor to:
 cause at least one of the first wheel or the second wheel to rotate;   in response to a rotation of at least one of the first wheel or the second wheel, at least one of:
 determine that the fluid corresponding to the detected potential fluid leak is present in the area of the premises; or 
 determine the information about the fluid. 
   
     
     
         10 . The premises monitoring system of  claim 9 , wherein the information is determined based at least in part on revolution information associated with the rotation of at least one of the first wheel or the second wheel. 
     
     
         11 . The premises monitoring system of  claim 9 , wherein the information is determined based at least in part on an amount of degrees of steering that is performed using at least one of the first wheel or the second wheel. 
     
     
         12 . The premises monitoring system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one wheel comprises a plurality of wheels, each of the plurality of wheels comprising a respective group of the plurality of electrodes arranged to detect the premises of the fluid. 
     
     
         13 . A method in a premises monitoring system comprising a robot, the robot comprising at least one wheel, the at least one wheel comprising at least one sensor, the at least one sensor comprising a plurality of electrodes arranged to detect a presence of a fluid, the method comprising:
 determining, using the at least one sensor, that a fluid corresponding to a detected potential fluid leak is present in an area of a premises;   in response to determining that the fluid is present in the area of the premises, determining information about the fluid; and   transmitting the information to a control device for the premises monitoring system.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the information about the fluid comprises at least one of a measurement associated with the fluid, a shape associated with the fluid, or a location within the premises where the fluid is present. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein each electrode of the plurality of electrodes is not in physical contact with any other electrode of the plurality of electrodes. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 detecting a short-circuit condition across at least a pair of electrodes of the plurality of electrodes, when the pair of electrodes contacts the fluid; and   in response to detecting the short-circuit condition, determining that the fluid is present in the area.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 receiving information about the detected potential fluid leak being present in the area of the premises; and   in response to receiving the information, causing the robot to traverse at least a portion of the area of the premises.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one wheel comprises at least one of a first wheel and a second wheel; and
 the plurality of electrodes comprises:
 a first group of electrodes positioned on the first wheel; and 
 a second group of electrodes positioned on the second wheel. 
   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the first wheel comprises a first wheel surface, the first group of electrodes being coupled to the first wheel surface; and   the second wheel comprises a second wheel surface, the second group of electrodes being coupled to the second wheel surface.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 causing at least one of the first wheel or the second wheel to rotate;   in response to a rotation of at least one of the first wheel or the second wheel, at least one of:
 determine that the fluid corresponding to the detected potential fluid leak is present in the area of the premises; or 
 determine the information about the fluid.